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    Choreographing Scales: Keyboard Choreography: Lesson 3

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    peter
    This document provides instruction on proper finger positioning and rotation for playing scales on the piano. It explains that scales are made of repeating patterns of four notes called tetrachords and that there are only two finger patterns for white keys. It emphasizes using rotation of the forearm to allow for stronger fourth finger notes and more expressive playing. Students are instructed to watch the full lesson video online for demonstrations of Bernstein's scale fingerings.

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    Choreographing Scales: Keyboard Choreography: Lesson 3

    Uploaded by

    peter
    127 views2 pages
    This document provides instruction on proper finger positioning and rotation for playing scales on the piano. It explains that scales are made of repeating patterns of four notes called tetrachords and that there are only two finger patterns for white keys. It emphasizes using rotation of the forearm to allow for stronger fourth finger notes and more expressive playing. Students are instructed to watch the full lesson video online for demonstrations of Bernstein's scale fingerings.

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    This document provides instruction on proper finger positioning and rotation for playing scales on the piano. It explains that scales are made of repeating patterns of four notes called tetrachords and that there are only two finger patterns for white keys. It emphasizes using rotation of the forearm to allow for stronger fourth finger notes and more expressive playing. Students are instructed to watch the full lesson video online for demonstrations of Bernstein's scale fingerings.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    127 views2 pages

    Choreographing Scales: Keyboard Choreography: Lesson 3

    Uploaded by

    peter
    This document provides instruction on proper finger positioning and rotation for playing scales on the piano. It explains that scales are made of repeating patterns of four notes called tetrachords and that there are only two finger patterns for white keys. It emphasizes using rotation of the forearm to allow for stronger fourth finger notes and more expressive playing. Students are instructed to watch the full lesson video online for demonstrations of Bernstein's scale fingerings.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    COURSE SUPPLEMENT

    CHOREOGRAPHING SCALES
    WATCH THE LESSON
    AT TONEBASE.CO

    KEYBOARD CHOREOGRAPHY: LESSON 3


    SEYMOUR BERNSTEIN – INSTRUCTOR

    “Pretend that you're putting a key in a door and turning the key,
    that's rotation”.

    Proper finger positioning will now be applied to scales. Scales can be


    intimidating, especially to a young child, but they are made easier by
    understanding the formula for the tetrachords, or the series of four notes that
    begins and ends the Major scale.

    Every Major scale is simply two tetrachords. If you are given the note B-flat, and
    you are aware of the pattern of tetrachords, you will be able to construct a Major
    scale, even if you're a very young a student.

    There are only two fingering patterns for white


    keys on the piano: 1 2 3, and 1 2 3 4.
    Scales beginning on black notes should be
    made as easy as possible. Pupils will naturally
    place fingers 2, 3, and 4 on the black notes,
    and this is correct. Fingerings for black keys
    will always involve finger 4 on A-sharp in the
    right hand, and finger 4 on F-sharp in the left
    hand. See the sheet music on the tonebase
    site for all of Bernstein's scale fingerings.

    Watch the lesson at tonebase.co Bernstein 1


    Begin with each Major scale in one octave. You can use the previous rule to find
    the fingering of any Major Scale.

    When you play the thumb, the hand


    should move down, and when you play
    the other fingers, the hand should move
    up. Remember to play emotionally.

    As the wrist moves up and down, the


    elbow should never move laterally. The
    forearm is lined up with the third finger
    as the arm and body glide together.

    Without rotation, one cannot play


    expressively at the piano. For our
    purposes, it applies to the two bones in
    the forearm. The arms roll between the
    two positions pictured on the right. The
    bottom position is also called "supine"
    (at rest), where the bones are parallel.

    Follow the natural roll of the arm as you


    play 1 2 3, 1 2 3 4 or any other pattern.
    Each thumb rotates toward your body,
    no matter which notes you're accenting.

    Rotating will give your fourth finger more strength than it would otherwise have.
    Play a C Major scale and stop on the third finger, accent the next note with the
    fourth finger, and then return to the third finger. Play in contrary motion with
    both hands.

    Watch the lesson at tonebase.co Bernstein 2

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